§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate what the fraud savings from the automation of benefit payments at post offices would have been had the project been completed on schedule. [85229]
§ Mr. TimmsFraudulent payments associated with paying benefits through giro cheques and order books were estimated to stand at around £180 million per annum when the project was initiated in 1996. The payment card, when fully in place, was estimated to cut out 90 per cent. of such fraudulent payments.